Holdup-preventing device



July 22 1924.

A. E. ANAKIN v BOLDUP PREVEHTING DEVICE Filed April 18, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 22 1924. 1,502,537

A. E. ANAKIN HOLDUP PREVENTING DEVICE Filed April 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 For a full understanding Patented July 22, .1 24.

uuirso STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m3 E. Am, CF LONG fiEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO-ANAKIN SPECIALTY murmuamo COMPANY, Q3 LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed April 18,

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. ANAKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county" of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdup-Preventing Devices, of which the fol] wing is e specification.

y invention relates 'to new and useful 0 improvements in bank protectors and has for its principal object to provide an apparatus which can he easilv installed in any ank or buildin s where arge amounts of money are handled and which will efl'ec tively prevent successful holdups and bank robberies,

Another object of my invention is to provide sin apparatus which is entirely c0n sealed from view and which mayv be. operated from within the building and when operated will discharge a chemical into the face of the t robber, blinding or rendering him helpless until overpowered.

Another object is to provide discharge ports located preferably against thedoorway and tellers windows, which have coverings rendering them invisible and also preventing eraporation or deterioration of so the chemical? The invention provides a pressure tank which is ;automaticall maintained at a maximum ressure an having a discharge valve of relatively large area, which. can be operated from various positionswithin the bank. 'Thevalve has a plurality of confiuits leading to chemical tanks which communicate with dischar e orts located at each side of the tellers windows and-entrances.

to These discharge ports are covered by a colored wax which conceals them and prevents the evaporation or deterioration of the chemical.

With the above and other objects in view view the invention consists in certain arrangements and constructions of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds. the novel features thercofbeing pointed out in the ap ended claims. the invention reference is to be had tothe following dedifl'erent advantageous positions FIOLDU'P-PREVENTING DEVICE.

1022. Serial 'm. 5,021.

scription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a bank having my invention installed therein.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section, disclosing the discharge valve and actuating means therefor; also one of the chemical discharging units. 00

Figure 3 is a front elevation of one of the chemical discharge orts.

Figure 4 is 'a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line 44 of Figure 3.

Corr sponding and like parts are referred 05 to in t e following description and indi cated on all of the views of the drawings by like reference characters.

Refcrrin to the drawings, A designates the floor o a bank, B the entrance and C 1 the tellers windows or cages.

The invention comprises an air pressure tank 1 which is automatically kept at a predetermined pressure by any conventional H means, such as a compressor pumppD oper-J! ated by an electric motorE under coutrol of an automatic switch F. The tank 1 hasya discharge valve 2 located at one side thereof and normally held closed by thespring 3 positioned between the head I the valve stem 4 and the bracket 6 located on the tank 1, The valve 2 has a discharge, passage leading to a distributor or header 7 from which several pipes orc'onduits 8 lead to chemical storage tanks 9. These conduits '85 are looped or coiled adjacent the chemical tanks 9, as indicated at '10, to provide traps, thus preventing the flow of the liquid or chemical back to the valve Band corroding the same. Each of the chemical' tanks 9 is' provided with a conventional filleigcap 11. A conduit 12 leads from the lower portion of said tank 9 upwardly behind the wall or partition to a point adjaceht the side of the tellers window, or an entrance, and has screwed thereon a discharge head 13. This discharge head 13comprises a body...po :tion l3 and a. removable aperture face or disy charge spray nozzle 13* provided withra .1 suitable gasket 13 and he (1 in positionby W fastenings 13";

One of these discharge heads is-prefor&

or collar 5 naturally stand in from the floor ably mounted at each side of a tellers window of entrance, at a height about on a plane with the face of'a person of average stature. In positioning the device in t e frames of the window, it is preferable to incline the faces 13 slightly toward each other. The faces should be made flush or slightly below the face of the window frame in order that a protective covering 14 may be placed over the perforated plate 13".

This covering 14 may be of parafiin, wax oi he a e and may be dyed or colored to sun. the window frame, thus rendering the plate invisible and preventing deterioration of the chemical standing in the conduit 12 and the tank 11. Upon operation of the device said coating 14 will be readily displaced.

In order to actuate the discharge valve 2 numerous push rods or foot buttons 15 are located at different advantageous positions throu bout the bank. These push rods extend downwardly through apertures in the floor and are fastened to bell-cranks 16 ivotally supported by brackets 17 depen ing A and are connected by cables 18 to valve actuating bell-cranks 19. A spring 20 is provided on the push rod 15'to keep the cables 18 taut. The bell-cranks 19 are pivotally secured to a bracket 21 depending from the floor A and so posit oned as to actuate the discharge valve 2 upon movement thereof.

The valve stem 4 of the valve 2 has projecting upwardly therefrom a guide rod 22 operatingin a guide aperture 23 located on the bracket 21. This maintains the head 5 in proper register to be actuated by the bellcranks 19.

In the operation of the device it is assumed that pressure contained within the tanlk'2 is approximately 100 lbs. per square inc The chemical tanks 9 have been filled with any suitable liquid chemical, such as ammonia, and this liquid stands in the conduit 12 to approirimately the height of the discharge head 13, being supported therein by acheck valve 26.

Upon ,entering the bank the robber will front of the tellers window and demand the money. He will then be directly in line with the two discharge ports, one on each side of the window frame, on a plane with his face.

The teller or some other bank oflicial will then depress the push rod 15 which will actuate the bell-crank 16 causing a pull on, the cable 18 thus rocking the bell-crank 19, which will in turn depress the valve stem 4, thus opening the valve 2. Pressure such as compressed air will now become effective through the conduits 8 upoh the chemical, preferable in liquid state, contained in the tank 9 and the conduit 12, causing the same to displace or blow away the thin wax seal or covering of the ports 14, and be ejected in the form of a powerful spray or mist through the discharge openings 13, directly into the face of the robber, thus blinding or rendering him helpless or unconscious, depending upon the kind of chemical used.

Upon release of the push rod 15 the valve 2 will be closed by its spring 3, thus stopping the chemical discharge, it then being only us essary to recoat the discharge openings with the colored sealing medium an the device is again ready for use. The chemical tanks are of sufficient size, or comparatively so, that the device can he operated a number of times before it is necessary to refill it. When refilling is required, it is only necessary in addition to the above, to remove the fillin plug and fill the tank to the desired leve as indicated by the gauge 27, and then replace the filling plug. The apparatus is then ready for further use. The pressure in the tank 1 is maintained throu h an automatic pressure actuated electric switch of the t pe that will break the circuit when a pre 'etermined pressure is reached and upon reduction of the said pressure the circuit will again be closed. This circuit operates the electric motor E which in turn actuatcs the compressor or pumpl D.

W ile the drawings show only one controllin valve 2 which, when depressed, will cause the discharge of the chemical through all of the ports or discharge heads 13, it may be desirable, however, to discharge the chemical through only several of the ports.

in which case I provide a plurality of "control valves 2 which may be actuated either by a single foot pedal or by a series of foot pedals located at different positions throughout the building each of which controls one of the valves 2. This is clearly a mechanical expedient and within the purview of my invention.

It is also within the purview of my invention to install this apparatus in places such as railway mail'cars, express cars and the like, where a steam, compresse air or the like is already available, in which case the pressure tank, motor and air compressor are omitted and the device is connected directlv to the available source of suppl Having thus describ my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A holdup preventing device for commercial institutions having a structural opening, said device including chemical discharge openings located at each side of said opening and inclined toward each other to effect converging streams meeting at a point in alignmentwith the opening when the device is operated, chemical supply means ressure medium such asfor said discharge openings. and sci-case means under control of an opnrutor for the chemical supply means. i

2. A holdup preventing device comprising a receptacle containing a che 'nical, u discharge port for said chcmical, a conduit communicating lictween said receptacle and port, :1 check valve lozntod in the conduit to support a column of the chemical therein hetwecn the check valve and. said discharge port, a fluid pressure reservoir connected for discharging said chemi al receptacle, and 'ictuuting menus under the control of an op erutor for effecting said discharge.

3. A holdup preventing device for institutions having windows and. an entrance, conduits leading to each side of said Windows and entrance, breakable seals for said conduits, chcrnical discharge means under pressure and associated with the conduits, nieces for releasing said pressure to break said seal.

l. In a holdup prcvcnting device for in stitutions having a window, it conduit leading to said window, a brealmhie seal for the mouth of said conduit, chemical discharge means for the conduit, and l'luid pressure means for discharging u chemical through the conduit and causing the displacement. of said seal.

5. in u holdup preventing device for institutions having Windows and an entrance conduits icziding lo eucli side of said Windowsand entrance, hr nknhle seals for the mouth of said conduits, chemical discharge nicuns for the conduit. and fluid pressure means for discharging a. chemical through the conduit and causing the displacement of said seal.

3. A holdup preventing de 'ice for commorcial institutions having a Window and an cntra'ncc, said ClBYllP including chemical discharge openings associated with said window and cull-once, said discharge 0penings having hrr-nkuhlc seals associated there with chemical supply means for said discharge opcnings. and release means under conli'ol of an operator For the chemical sup ply means.

T. A holdup preventing device for commercial institutions having at window and un entrain-c, said device inchlding chemical discharge openings associated with the said window and entrance. said discharge 0penings having breakable seals associated therewith. chemical supply means for said dis charge opl-nings, fluid pressure means to cause tlw discharge of chemical supply means, and trip means under control of the operate: to ender he fluid web Tr means el'l'ccti \e.

R. A holdup prvi'ci'iting dcvicc for 0m Incrciul ii'istiiutions having a window. n cos ing thcrel'or. an cntrain'e, said device includiug vln-nncnl discharge opei'iings asso cialud \Til'l'i said window and entrance, said discharge n 'ieuiugzs inning hrculmhlre seals of roiored material to match the window casing and render the snow inii hie asso cialcd therewith, chemical supply means for said discharge openings, uud release means for the cheiiiicul supply means.

9. A holdup preventing device comprismg a rcccptmi-le, a chemical contained Wltlb in said receptacle, discharge ports for said chemical, displace-chic seals for said dis charge ports being readily displaced incident to the (iischar rc of the U mnical, conduits cominouicin in Iwtwocn s u, recepta le and said illril ii'gl" ports, yin-assure means for cuusing the dieionrgxn of the chemical from said receptacle through said discharge ports, rclcusc inmns ussociaied with said pressure means, and actuating means for said release means.

10. In a holdup preventing device for in stituiions having cashiers windows and an entrance, said device comprising chemical outlets associated with said Windows and entrance so as to discharge a. chemical directly into the face of the person nittemptin the holdup, chemical receptacles, e chemicu contained in said receptacles, conduits lead ing from said re eptacles to said diicl'iur e outlets, a check valv located in each of said conduits udepted to support a column of the chemical in said conduits between said check valve and said d'scharge ports, a rescrvoir, fluid iircs zure cin'itnined within said reservoir for discharging the contents of the chemical rcccptucl s through the diswharge outlets conduits lending iron: said ri'ineri Oir to said chemical receptacles, u valve inter mediate said reservoir and said inst named conduits. snid vulva heing adapted upon actuation thereof to render said fluid pressure ellective to cause a discharge of the chemical and actuating means for said valve said tea ing means being operative from difi'erent locations within the institution.

In testimony whereof I sfix my signalure.

ARTE UR E, ANAKIN (ill 

